Man held after Arlington Heights barricade situation

A man was taken into custody yesterday after a three-hour barricade situation in northwest suburban Arlington Heights, according to witnesses and police.

About 5:20 p.m., police responded to a condominium development near Chestnut Avenue and Wing Street after a man "who was having a bad day" fired a gun into the air and then pointed it at his chest before returning to a residence, according to a witness at the scene.

Police said in a release that the first call reported gunfire in the sixth floor of a five-story building and were then given a different location, in the 100 block of Wing Street, around the corner from the first.

A woman inside the sixth-floor condo reported that her 38-year-old son was "despondent and threatening to take his life" and called 911 after he fired several shots in the unit, according to the release. She disarmed her son, police said, but the son retained the gun's magazine and it wasn't clear if he had more weapons.

The woman fled but her son remained inside, and Arlington Heights police asked for help from other area police departments. Part of the downtown area was locked down and officers eventually "forced" entry and "the subject was taken into custody uninjured."

During the situation, people were kept at a distance, which also affected traffic around a nearby Jewel Food Store shopping area, witnesses said.

A little after 8 p.m. the man was reported in custody and the situation was winding down. The man was taken to an area hospital for evaluation and it's not clear yet whether any charges will be filed.